Five things we learned in Miami Hurricanes training camp

The Hurricanes were given the day off Friday, the last scheduled day of training camp. Which means, it’s o-v-e-r, and Louisville week is upon us.

Players and coaches will gather with fans at the Schwartz Center and Greentree Practice Fields from 4-7 p.m. Saturday for the annual CanesFest, which is free and open to the public. Sunday, the prep for the season-opener begins.

If you’ve been following our coverage in print, online and on social media (and on the radio; click here for my latest interview), we hope you have a pretty good idea of where the team stands. But let’s take a step back and focus on five things we learned after watching 18 days of camp:

Duke Johnson may be better than ever in 2014. (Photo by Matt Porter)

Should be OK at QB. There will be ups and downs, because right now, neither Brad Kaaya nor Jake Heaps screams “Heisman contender.” But it could be a lot worse. A true freshman, and a fifth-year grad student on his third program, could have come in and completely bombed. That wasn’t the case. Both Heaps and Kaaya showed the ability to run the offense and make the needed throws, though neither has the cannon Stephen Morris had. But with the array of weapons around them – one of the nation’s best tailbacks and a deep fleet of receivers – they will need to play smart and in control. If they can’t, Ryan Williams hopes to return by October. The expectation is that UM’s quarterback, whoever it is, will be average. Which, again, might just be good enough.

Duke is Duke again. After watching him during camp, it’s hard to believe Duke Johnson will be anything less than dynamite in 2014. He said he no longer feels the effects from his broken ankle suffered last Nov. 2, and he doesn’t look like it when he’s breaking open long runs during 11-on-11 or scrimmage play. He’s bigger, up 10 pounds from last season, and stronger, having made gains in every area of the weight room. The Canes hope that will make him more durable, because the entire season changes if he goes down. It certainly changed things last year.

The defense looks better. How much better, we won’t know until Sept. 1, but the signs are positive. While it is still looking for proven playmakers not named Denzel Perryman, UM now has real depth up front and in the secondary. That will keep players fresh, at least. This is the second year defensive coordinator Mark D’Onofrio has emphasized the 3-4 in his multiple-front defense, and he said he’s seeing players make fewer mental errors. His front line, with the key players ranging between 6-foot-3 and 6-5 and 280-320 pounds, is big enough to play a two-gapping 3-4 when needed, and there are several talented pass-rushing end/linebacker types. Linebacker depth is a worry, but the secondary is much deeper than last year. Having freshman rush end Trent Harris and linebacker Darrion Owens and junior college defensive tackle Calvin Heurtelou to enroll in January has helped them shine in camp.

These freshmen can play. UM’s 2014 recruiting class looks like it will pay immediate dividends. Defensive end Chad Thomas, at 6-5 and nearly 260 pounds, will have an immediate role on third down and it won’t be long until he’s a three-down player. Tailback Joseph Yearby looks to have won the backup job from Gus Edwards, thanks to his vision and cutback ability. Braxton Berrios, despite having ACL surgery approximately eight months ago, has worked his way onto the depth chart at receiver and both return units. Harris’ mistake-free camp earned him, for now, the top spot at rush end over two much more experienced players. Kc McDermott and Trevor Darling are contenders to start at right tackle. Except for Trayone Gray and Darrell Langham, everyone was on campus in July.

Luck on their side. Injuries happen, and UM escaped camp mostly injury-free. The most significant losses are senior wide receiver Rashawn Scott and junior safety Rayshawn Jenkins. Scott is expected to miss a couple weeks with a shoulder/collarbone injury (opposite from the collarbone he broke last August). Jenkins will miss the year after back surgery. The Canes are very deep at wideout, but now need a freshman safety (Marques Gayot the most likely candidate) to step up for depth. Deon Bush (hamstring), Artie Burns (foot), Raphael Kirby (unknown), Jon Feliciano (headaches), McDermott (headaches) and Yearby (illness) had brief issues, but other than that, the Canes were relatively healthy. Considering where they were in the spring – nine key players missed practice – that’s a major positive.